Method of loading live poultry

Abstract

A method of loading live poultry is described. Firstly, provide a transport vehicle having a plurality of empty poultry crates, a trailer having a two tiered trailer mounted conveyor, and a plurality of interconnectable two tiered conveyor sections. The trailer mounted conveyor and the conveyor sections both have a top tier and a bottom tier. Secondly, deploy the trailer mounted conveyor so that a first end extends into the freight compartment of the transport vehicle, and deploy the two tiered conveyor sections so that they extend from a second end of the trailer mounted conveyor into an enclosure containing live poultry. Thirdly, send poultry crates continuously along the trailer mounted conveyor and the conveyor sections from the freight compartment of the transport vehicle to the enclosure on one of the top tier and bottom tier. Fourthly, load the live poultry into the poultry crates at the enclosure and send the poultry crates containing live poultry continuously along the conveyor sections from the enclosure to the freight compartment of the transport vehicle on the other of the top tier and bottom tier.

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: 
     
       1. A method of loading live poultry, comprising the steps of: firstly, providing a transport vehicle having a plurality of empty poultry crates, a trailer having a two tiered trailer mounted conveyor, and a plurality of interconnectable two tiered conveyor sections, the trailer mounted conveyor and the conveyor sections both having a top tier and a bottom tier;   secondly, deploying the trailer mounted conveyor so that a first end extends into the freight compartment of the transport vehicle, and deploying the two tiered conveyor sections so that they extend from a second end of the trailer mounted conveyor into an enclosure containing live poultry;   thirdly, sending poultry crates continuously along the trailer mounted conveyor and the conveyor sections from the freight compartment of the transport vehicle to the enclosure on one of the top tier and bottom tier; and   fourthly, loading the live poultry into the poultry crates at the enclosure and sending the poultry crates containing live poultry continuously along the conveyor sections from the enclosure to the freight compartment of the transport vehicle on the other of the top tier and bottom tier.